HOUSTON – Eli Manning again is up for the NFL’s greatest off-the-field honor.
Manning, as he was last year, is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes an NFL player for excellence on and off the field. No Giants player has won the award. Eli’s older brother Peyton won the award in 2005.
The two other finalists this year are Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers tight end Greg Olson. The winner will be announced Saturday night during the NFL Honors awards show. Manning, after his strong showing last year, is the favorite to win it this time.
“I think it’s different, it’s not like winning a Super Bowl,’’ Manning said Friday morning. “If you’re just considered, it is good, it’s good enough. [It is not] win it, and say, ‘Now I don’t have to do any more charitable works, I’ve reached my goal.’ My award is seeing the results in the research and the funding and the children’s smiles and the difference you’re making in the community. That’s the award.
“For the Giants, they’ve never had a Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner. That would be special, and just to be recognized for the works is always nice.’’
Manning is especially active with charities that focus on children. He has served as the Chair of the New York March for Babies for the past eight years. He is involved with “Tackle Kids Cancer,” an initiative with Hackensack University Medical Center. Manning and his wife founded the Eli and Abby Manning Children’s Clinics in 2007 in Mississippi. They also created the University of Mississippi Medical Center Manning Family Fund, which received close to $1.5 million in donations its first year in 2015.
Manning also works with the American Red Cross, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, participates in the No More campaign. He contributes to the Operation Smile’s NYC gala, has a scholarship endowment at the University of Mississippi and has fulfilled numerous Make-A-Wish and Wounded Warrior experiences.
Manning said the birth of his three daughters altered his outlook.
“It definitely had changed my perspective over the last couple of years, having kids of my own,’’ he said. “I think I used to just look at the child, saying, ‘I want to help them.’ Now I kinda look at the child and the family. I see it from the parents’ side of it and what they’re going through to have a child that’s sick and in hospitals. I guess I’ve kind of put myself in their shoes and what you’d be doing if that was your child that was sick.’’
Terrance Williams, the CEO of Nationwide Insurance – the company that sponsors the award – said, “We would feel really good’’ with Manning winning it.
“We have some partnerships and relationships with the Mannings, having Eli win this would be a strong positive for us,’’ Williams said. “But having any of the finalists win would be good for us. In my book, they’re all winners.’’
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